Air distributing system and apparatus for railroad cars



NW; .27, 1934.. A. E. STACEY, JR, ET AL 9 9 AIR DISTRIBUTING SYSTEM ANDAPPARATUS FOR RAILROAD CARS Filed NOV. 29, 1929 A l ql pg j D 1; 5,, p k[5 a /Z 8 1 z: i 24 F i. p: 1 i j llllllllllllglllllq l lllll' PatentedNov. 27, 1934 AIR DISTRIBUTING SYSTEM AND APPARA- TUS FOR RAILROAD CARSAlfred E. Stacey, Jr.,

Essex Fells, and Herman Richard Ari, Elizabeth, N. J., assignors, by

mesne assignments, Corporation, Newark, New York to Carrier EngineeringN. J., a corporation of Application November 29, 1929, Serial No.410,361

9 Claims.

This invention relates to air conditioning systems, and moreparticularly to methods of and means for effecting the distribution ofconditioned air in railroad cars.

The general object of the invention is to provide a system of ducts andoutlets which may be readily installed in existing railway car equipmentand whose use will not require substantial structural changes in cardesign and appearance. Some types of railroad cars, such as diners,lounges and the like, are designed along artistic lines to follow asuitable scheme of interior decoration or to reflect period appointmentsand furnishings. The installation of asystem of air con-, ditioning insuch cars must be carried out without interfering with the structurallines of the car interior, all of which blend in the artistic motif.Furthermore, since the public is accustomed to definite car designs ofconventional appearance, it is desirable to preserve, to as great a.degree as possible, the usual interior structural layout. Applicanttherefore plans to incorporate an air conditioning distributing systemfor a car interior without making use, to any substantial degree, of theinterior car area used for passenger accommodation.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of a duct or seriesof ducts along the outside of a car, suitably arranged to discharge airat different points within the car. The duct work is designed to followthe car contour so that its addition to the car structure will notdetract from the outer appearance of the car, and in fact, improve theappearance.

A further feature covers the method of equipping a car with outside ductwork whereby economies in installation and efficiency in airdistribution, with a minimum of conduction loss, are attained.

Another feature relates to the installation of air outlets suitablyconnected to main distributing ducts whereby effective distribution isaccomplished throughout a car area and equable conditions producedwithout drafts or air streaks.

Other objects and features whose adoption results in advantages ofdesign and in operating and installation efficiency and economy, will bemore apparent from the following description of one form of theinvention to be read in connection with the accompanying drawing inwhich Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view showing one way ofinstalling an air distributing duct on the exterior of a car.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a car interior showing a system ofoutlets adapted to function in connection with outer distributing ducts,and Figs. 3 and 4 are detailed views of air distributing and diffusingmeans used for discharging .desired air volumes from t e main ducts atdifferent points in the car.

Considering the drawing, similar designations referring to similarparts, numeral 8 refers generally to a railroad carhaving a top.9, shoulders 10 on each side of the car, and sides 11. Any suitable constructionmay be employed in building the car and the details of its conventionalstructure and assembly are of no moment except as they relate to thesystem employed for air conditioning the car. Thus, member 12 may besuitably fastened to top 9 and by means of structural element 13 beinterconnected to member 14 whose extension forms the outer sur" face ofshoulder 10. Duct 15 is suitably positioned in the manner illustratedalong the outside of the car.- Its curvature follows that of member 14so that its contour will fit in with the shape of the shoulder ofthe,car and the vertical part of member 14. Its upper surface is roundedin the manner illustrated so that crown 16 of the car will follow asmooth surface covering the top and duct work to point-17 where it issuitably fastened in any desirable manner. Insulating material 18 may beplaced between the duct and the car and along its outer surface to thecrown. This may be of cork or any other suitable substance and will notonly tend to minimize conduction losses, but serve to preserve the outerappearance so that the crown will form a smooth top surface of maximumutility, and leak proof. Member 14 has its end 19 shaped downwardly tofollow the crown of the car so that in case a leak does develop throughthe crown it will not enter the car but either be absorbed or follow theduct surface beyond the limit of the car interior. At the extremity 1'7of the crown provision is also made, as illustrated, for insuring aleakproof installation of a protective nature. Since the inner structure ismade lea-k proof in the first instance, this added arrangement serves asa ouble protective covering.

In existing car designs it is usual to have space 20 serve as a monitorarrangement at the upper part of the car, a series of windows or thelike usually extending along the sides for ventilating purposes. Byplacing the duct work outside the car, the conventional interiorappearance is preserved, while added utility is attained in thattheinterior is provided with conditioned air always suitable for themaintenance of comfortable conditions.

As in Fig. 2, the interior area of the car, which in the illustration isof the diner type, retains its usual appearance and has all the freespace ordinarily provided, no change in design being required exceptfor, the provision of discharge openings 21. These openings are providedalong the sides of the car. The openings may be at any number of desiredpoints and as shown in Fig. 1 connect with duct 15. The interiorstructure of the car is consequently not altered and the openings arerelatively-inconspicuous. It is obvious, of course, that the style andform :of opening as well as its outer appearance maybe changed to suitvarious requirements of interior design or engineering expediency. Inthe arrangement of Fig. 1 the opening 21 is equipped with a damper 22which may be operated by handle 23. The damper is pivoted at 24 and bymoving the handle up or down, may be fixed at any desired position.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4,'it may be noted that various means may beemployed for directing the air from duct 15 for discharge within thecar, the arrows indicating the direction of the air flow. In Fig. 3 itis seen that baflies 25 deilect the air current which is then diffusedby perforated plate 26 prior to discharge. The perforated platev servesto dissipate the draft of air and prevent drafts and air streaks. InFig. 4 the baffles are shown protrudingwithin the duct at differentlevels. The air will therefore be deflected by the several baffles atdifferent levels in the duct and then routed to difiusion plate 27. Inthis arrangement there are two perforated plates although any number maybe used. By means of device 28 the plates may be interpositioned so thatthe blank portions of one plate cover the perforation of the other andprevent air discharge. Thus, the lower perforated plate may be used as adamper to control the volume of air discharge to any desired degree.Louvers 29 may further be provided for deflecting the diffused air inany desired direction. Thus, in

a dining car it may be desirable to route the air toward the center ofthe area served instead of over the tables. Any desired combination ofdiffusing means and deflectors in combination with louvers and dampersmay be employed to accomplish applicants purpose. Applicants show thearrangement of Figs. 3 and 4 merely as illustrative. It may be notedthatboth in Figs. 3 and 4 the devices are equipped with extensions 30.These extensions project from the intake opening in the direction of airflow. It is found that, due to the velocity of the air, sufiicientvolume will reach within the extended portions to furnish a larger areathan would-be the case if only an outlet were employed equal in area tothe inlet. No extension however is provided at the near end of theoutlet, inasmuch as the air flow is in the reverse direction and littleair would be discharged in such an extension, assuming it were provided.

While no conditioning means are shown, it is obvious, of course,'thatany conditioning source may be employed for furnishing air to the dis-vtribution system.

The manner of installing the ducts and the means for distributing airfrom the ducts within a car may be modified to suit differentrequirements. Applicants consider any analogous means wherein a duct isinstalled outside of a spaced therefrom,

car to form a crown portion with the top of a.

car, as within the purview of the invention.

Having described our invention what we claim as new and desiretosecurewby Letters Patent-is:--

1. In combination with a railroad car having a monitor arrangement, aduct having enclosing sides independent of the sides of the car and theduct being positioned on the car exterior alongside the monitor,,theroof of the car covering the monitor and extending to and over the ductto join the side of the car in a smooth, continuous surface,insulating-material--covering said duct and holding the duct in out ofcontact relation with the car, and outlets constituting independentunits connecting with the duct and leading within the car, the dischargeends of said outlets terminating at the ceiling of the car adjacent thearea covered by the monitor.

2. In combination with a railroad car, the car having a monitorarrangement, a duct, the duct constituting an air conduit having astructure independent of the outside surfaces of the car, insulatingmaterial covering the duct and holding the duct in out of contactrelation with the car, the walls of the duct being formed substantiallyto follow the adjacent wall of the monitor and. top of the car adjacentthe monitor, so that the crown of the car may be formed in a continuoussurface extending over the monitor and beyond the duct.

3. In a system of the character described, an outlet for discharging airfrom a duct serving a railroad car, said duct being positioned on thecar exterior and constituting a complete enclosure for air passage ofwhich the car exterior forms no part, the outlet comprising anindependent unit adapted to be attached to said duct, the inlet end ofsaid outlet communicating with an opening in the duct, the outlet endbeing larger in area than the inlet end and extending beyond the inletopening in the direction-of flow of air through the duct.

4. In combination with a duct of an air condit'ioning system an outlet,means in the outlet for deflecting a current of air from the duct to bedischarged through the outlet and diffusing means within the outlet saiddiffusing means being adapted to control the volume of air discharged.

5. In a system of the character described an air duct extendinglengthwise of a railroad car, a discharge outlet from the duct leadingwithin the car, means for diffusing the air prior to discharge and meansfor discharging the air in a desired direction within the area served.

6. In combination with a railroad car, the car having a monitorarrangement, a duct, the duct constituting an air conduit independentofthe exterior surfaces of the car, insulating material separating andspacing the duct from the surface of the car, the walls of the ductbeing formed substantially to follow the adjacent wall of the monitorand top of the car adjacent the monitor, so that the crown of the carmay be formed in a continuous surface extending over the monitor andbeyond the duct, and an outlet constituting an independent unitconnectin with the duct and terminating substantially at the ceiling ofthe car. 7

7. A duct structure for distributing air within a railroad car, saidduct being formed to fit lengthwise of and alongside of the roof of thecar, the top of the duct extending no higher than the roof of the carand meeting the plane oi. the side of the car, said duct constituting anindependent unit forming no part of the car structure, insulatingmaterial separating and spacing the duct from the outside of the car.the top of the car extending over the roof and duct in'a continuoussurface terminating at the side of the car, said duct having a pluralityof outlets, and distributing means leading from said outlets within thecar.

8. In combination with a railroad car having a monitor top, a duct, saidduct comprising a complete enclosure for air passage, said duct beingpositioned on the outside of the car adjacent the monitor, insulatingmaterial covering the duct and holding the duct in out of contactrelation with the surfaces or the car, an outlet to the interior of thecar, means operable from within the car for controlling the volume ofair discharged from the duct to the outlet, and

diflusing means in combination with the outlet.

ALFRED E. STACEY, JR. H. RICHARD ARF.

